Kudumbashree can help in lifting Keralas economy: Minister Rajesh

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Praising Kudumbashree for its timely adaptations to thrive in new challenges, Local Self-Government Minister M B Rajesh said that the mission can play a key role in lifting Keralas economy to the level of middle-income countries. Kudumbashree has empowered women in socio-political, cultural and financial domains, and now the target has to be the increase of incomes, the minister said, after inaugurating the Rural Enterprise Incubator three-day national workshop at Hotel Hycinth in Thiruvananthapuram. Highlighting that Kudumbashree has played a crucial role in extreme poverty eradication in the state, Rajesh also pointed out that the state achieved its target of placing one lakh women in jobs before Onam under the Vijnana Keralam scheme. Speaking about the workshop, he also emphasised that it will create new avenues to ensure sustained incomes for women. In his keynote address, rural development department secretary Shailesh Kumar Singh assured that a positive atmosphere will be created for the growth of enterprises selected through the scheme. Department director Rajeshwari S M said that the workshop will be beneficial in understanding the innovations and challenges in the sector. Currently implemented only in Kerala, the incubator programme is a sub-scheme of the startup village entrepreneurship umbrella scheme. The event was also attended by Assam Agricultural University Vice Chancellor Bidyut C Kheda, Kudumbashree executive director H Dineshan and chief operating officer C Naveen.